Finals post-mortem: Condolences for John Harms

All condolence messages for John Harms and other supporters of Geelong and the North Melbourne Football Club can be left here. We trust you will be sensitive at this time, particularly you Collingwood supporters.

Notty, no-one should have negative equity in their flag betting book, when Carlton were offered at $4 and Essendon at about $7.50 and the Cats got to $40, Freo to about $600, the Swans and Eagles long as well.

Phantom, nice observation.

I am gathering my thoughts on life and the universe. But, crikey, what happened?

History indicated that Geelong was going to struggle on Saturday. Great sides that play catch up footy in the back half of the season, invariably fall over in the first week of the finals. Some examples: Essendon in ’86 who lost Watson, Vander haar and a few others early in the year and struggled, before getting back on track in the 2nd half of the season – even smashing eventual premiers Hawthorn – only to succumb to the Roys in the Elimination (thanks to Micky Conlan’s late goal). Hawthorn in ’90 when Dunstall and co returned looked like world beaters again, only to fall to Melbourne two weeks running. Some more recent examples are Hawthorn in 2010 and St Kilda in 2011. It’s just too hard.

I can see the Handicapper smiling form here -and planning more excursions now that your weekends are footy free. And I can report that there is enough snow on the mountains to last for weeks ! Look on the bright side, getting away into the fresh air might be a good tonic.

History says Geelong won’t win another flag for at least 5 years – when the next lot of TV rights are up for renewal.

You can talk all you like about the correlation between contested possesions, inside 50’s , intercept marks, tackle counts….and winning….but there is one stat that everyone ignores – Geelong has won 100% of its Grand Finals contested on Channel 10.

It has never won a flag when the Grand Final was on televised on Channel 7

Collingwood are not in a good position either. But there is hope. Last time we finished 4th on the ladder was 2009. We lost in week one to St Kilda. Fifth place Adelaide beat 8th place Essendon. How much did they win by? 96 points!!! Now that margin sounds familiar.

Collingwood beat Adelaide the next week. May they do the same to West Coast this week.

Yes, I watched the VFL yesterday. More interesting than the game at Subi. Even Hawthorn’s reserves know to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory against the Cats. Kersten can play and knows how to find a goal. He will be a fine replacement for J-Pod. The rookie Eardley had a crack, and the Big O is a cut above at that level.

“WCWT”
Now that copyright no longer applies:
“West Coast Will Triumph” has a nice ring to it.
“Weak Cats Went Troppo” also seems to fit.
Have several for Collingwood, but just taking it one week at a time.

This Cats team is the football equivalent of the Terminator …just when you thought it was done it emerged to have another crack. Finally succumbed on Saturday night, but T2 is being constructed …We’ll be back.

Finally something for us Freo supporters to smile about. The big PAV on the big stage with his young mates driving the ball forward . It hasn’t happened often but this is a different team to the ones you’ve seen before against an opposition that can hold their heads high and refused to wilt and just go away. I don’t know how far they can go this year but I fear it may be the end for this great Geelong team. Age has caught up. Chapman,Corey,Kelly ,Enright,Hunt gave everything but one noticeable stand out for me early was the pace of the game was too hot and this will not get any better as another year goes by

Beyond the happy sighing of bookies at the Purple-ish win, the sad sighing of Cats fans (despite a brave comeback of the boyos), was the relieved and collective sigh of teams (and their supporters) who remain in the finals race.

Don’t feel too badly John, it’s an “even” year & you only win in “odd” years, there’s always 2013!!! Besides, everybody seems to have forgiven the boring Ross Lyon for his underhanded defection to Freo so you really should jump on board and laud him too!!

There is a lot to be said for winning form.Collingwood do not have it.The Eagles do.

The Magpies came close to losing against them in their final last year and in their 3 point win this year. And of course they lost badly at Subi.
They would much rather be facing the Roos this week.

Are there odds on Naitanui flattening four Magpies with one marking attempt?

The Eagles go further ahead of Geelong ,who are second, in AFL finals appearances and if they win the Premiership will be the only team with 4 AFL supremacies.If Hawthorn win they will merely draw level with the Cats,Lions and Eagles.

For all of Geelong’s wonderful winning record in their recent home and aways, it’s the Grand Final wins that really count.
If there have been 250~ finals played up to now in the AFL era,who has been the most successful? Geelong and the Eagles have ,between them,made up a sixth of of all finalists!

What I’m a bit concerned about is that 4 of the 11 players the Cats ‘blooded’ this year were rookies. The Cats would definitely want to keep 2 of them (Jesse Stringer and Josh Walker), and probably the other two as well (Sherringham and Simpkin) .

Does anyone know the rules around rookies. Do the Cats have first dibs on them, or can other clubs pull them out from under them?

The Cats have first dibs on them. After two years a rookie has to be upgraded to the senior list or delisted (unless you are Majak Daw it would seem). I’d definitely keep Stringer. To upgrade the rest would mean culling players like Wojo and J-Pod, who still have petrol in the tank and are required personnel if the 2013 flag is on the agenda.

In 1963 the Cats won the Premiership and the match was covered by Channel 7, admittedly on replay. Inside the back cover of my treasured Grand Final record we were asked to “Be tuned to Channel 7 – Grand Final Replay begins at 6.00 PM. Don’t miss ‘Football Inquest’ Special: 7.30 Saturday. ‘World of Sport’: Noon Sunday”. As a loyal Cats fan I did as instructed.

Sadly some fool is supposed to have re-used the videotape and wiped out Ch 7’s coverage. Fortunately Channel 9 covered the game as well and their version of the last quarter survives. It’s sensational stuff.

Can the Cats repeat the victory over the Hawks for a 50th anniversary celebration in 2013? Don’t rule us out.

@Peter Schumacher, of the 17 players the Cats have drafted in the past 3 years, 14 of them have played senior footy (unfortunately one of the best has since gone to Carlton) and I’m not sure the Lions did that during their reign so hopefully the Cats can avert the downfall.

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